Building A Supportive Community For All

Hi Sno-Valley! We are excited to welcome you to A Supportive Community for All (SFCA), a growing coalition of service providers working together to make human services more accessible in the Snoqualmie Valley. We believe in a world in which everyone has access to the supports they need to thrive.

For those of you who are new to our community, here’s more information about who we are and what’s ahead for us. 

 

What is A Supportive Community for All (SCFA)?

SCFA is a collaborative project with board representation and formal partnership with several local social service providers who are working together to make it easier for community members to access the resources they need to thrive. Our growing list of partners includes local community organizations like 

• Hopelink
• Encompass
• Mt Si Senior Center
• Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank
• Empower Youth Network (formerly Snoqualmie Valley Community Network)
• Holy Innocents Food Pantry
• and Snoqualmie Valley Shelter Services

 

How did SCFA first get started?

SCFA was launched with the support of King County in 2017 with a mission to build an inclusive coalition of community partners to strengthen community connections and coordinate human services across the Snoqualmie Valley. This includes rural communities in North Bend, Snoqualmie, Fall City, Preston, Carnation, and Duvall, and the surrounding unincorporated areas. 

In 2018-2019, our lead partners, Encompass, Hopelink, Mt. Si Senior Center, Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank, and Empower Youth Network (formerly Snoqualmie Valley Community Network), assembled a diverse group of community members to serve on a working group. The working group conducted a Community Needs Assessment to better understand the demographics and needs of Snoqualmie Valley residents. 

The top needs identified through the needs assessment process included support for older adults, veterans, youth, and mental health, as well as a need for stronger community connections to increase social cohesion and understanding. Regional needs identified included transportation and housing.

The needs assessment also identified barriers that make it harder for people in our community to get the help they need when they need it. Some of the barriers included:

• Location of services 
• Lack of awareness around what services are available
• Affordability of services and lack of insurance coverage
• A lack of anonymity in accessing services because of the small-town nature of the Valley

Following the completion of the assessment, the working group made the collective decision to design and launch multiple interventions to address barriers. In 2020, SCFA hired two full-time staff members, and a Governance Board was formed. 

We’re excited to share that this program will continue to be funded by King County Communities of Opportunity through December 2021.

 

What work has SCFA done so far?

Over the last few months, A Supportive Community for All (SCFA) has worked hard to get a Referral and Navigation program up and running. This program will allow local organizations to send and receive referrals among each other via our online platform, Julota, in a way that is fast, confidential, and secure. 

Once a referral comes through our platform, our program manager will process, fulfill, and track the referral, providing much-needed capacity to the staff at our partner organizations.

In addition to the Referral and Navigation program, SCFA is also engaging in a feasibility study to build a nonprofit center in the Sno-Valley. While we’re in the early stages of this project, we’re excited about the opportunity to create a space for nonprofits to co-locate and work together to meet the needs of our community. Stay tuned for a future blog post with more details! 

Lastly, but certainly not least, we are working to improve web access to local community resources with the addition of a resource page on the SCFA website. Community members now have a trusted list of service providers and resources within the Sno-Valley to turn to find local support. 

If you work at a local nonprofit and are interested in contributing to our resource page or in becoming a part of our referral network, please contact us at info@nullasupportivecommunityforall.org.

 

What are SCFA’s hopes for the future? 

Our vision is for individuals in our community to access the services they need to thrive in ways that are streamlined, coordinated, and human-centered. While we are currently focusing on centering basic human needs, we plan to expand to include other nonprofit organizations in our collaborative efforts. This consists of those focused on farm and conservation efforts, the arts, and other services, reflecting a variety of what the Sno-Valley community has to offer. 

As our coalition grows, we look forward to the continued collaboration of our community members and service providers in helping us bring our vision to life. We’d love for you to stay connected and grow with us along the way by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Instagram and Facebook.